Ramires scores for Chelsea against Crystal Palace in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea did little to q...
Ramires scores for
Chelsea against Crystal Palace in the Premier League match at Stamford
Bridge.
Chelsea did little to quicken the pulses and when they reflect upon three points that were chiselled from Crystal Palace, their only real source of assurance will come from a glance at the Premier League
table. It shows them sitting prettily in second place, two points off
Arsenal's pace. Their next league fixture is at Emirates Stadium on
Monday week.
This was anything but pretty. Chelsea got what they needed yet it was not the antidote to their recent toils. It is rather stating the obvious but title-winning teams surely have to be better than this.
José Mourinho's team are stuttering and the manager was reduced to calling for the full-time whistle at the end. Crystal Palace called the tune in the second half, even if they were indebted to a Ramires fluff and Julián Speroni's double-save from the substitutes André Schürrle and Demba Ba in the closing stages.
For much of what had gone before in the second-half, a Palace equaliser had been advertised but when the big chance came, for the substitute Stuart O'Keefe, and his shot beat Petr Cech. John Terry somehow made a saving clearance behind the goalkeeper and from in front of the line.
Palace have not won at this stadium in 31 years but they deserved something here, having handed Chelsea an early advantage. Tony Pulis's team had arrived with a miserly recent defensive record yet they were breached with what was Chelsea's first attack of note. And although Willian's 25-yard shot that created the goal was well struck, it was disappointing from the Palace point of view that Speroni got nothing more to it than fingertips to divert the ball onto his post.
The rebound fell to Fernando Torres. It fell to him in a way that has not always happened during his Chelsea career and he gratefully accepted the good fortune, sweeping home his second league goal of the season from close-range.
Chelsea had shown a few moments of looseness in the early running. Never mind that David Luiz was nutmegged by Cameron Jerome, the Brazil defender also lost a dribble with a terribly heavy touch. He would be strangely erratic. César Azpilicueta and Juan Mata also made errors on the ball.
The home team did spark briefly after the goal. Torres drove at Joel Ward, turning him inside and out; Mata's wonderful flick released Branislav Ivanovic, who shot narrowly wide and Michael Essien tried his luck from distance.
But Palace were determined not to play the part of stooges. Pulis had started with Marouane Chamakh working in the space behind the lone striker, Cameron Jerome, in an attempt to match up the Chelsea formation and there were plenty of nice moments from his team. The nicest was the equaliser.
Chamakh was involved at the beginning of the move, finding Jason Puncheon, who worked it wide to Ward. The full-back's cross invited Chamakh, who had continued his run, to strike left-footed and on the volley, and the ball found the bottom corner of the net. It was Chamakh's third goal in third. He scores when he wants, according to Palace's travelling fans.
Chelsea responded. Pulis wanted a foul on Jerome at the other end but when Eden Hazard cut back to Ramires and Palace stood off him, the midfielder took full advantage. His right-footed shot from the edge of the box fizzed high past Speroni. Willian might have had another for Chelsea before the interval but he shot weakly when well-placed. Mourinho booted a kit-bag in frustration.
Palace's fans were loud throughout; they made the atmosphere in what was an entertaining derby. Their team gave everything, too, and they threatened a second equaliser throughout the second half. Jerome fired high after an Ivanovic error; Puncheon drew a save from Cech on the break and Damien Delaney headed at the goalkeeper from Puncheon's free-kick.
Mourinho looked uppity but, internally, he was surely raging at Chelsea's general carelessness. Hazard played well but around him, there was not much to inspire. Mata was unhappy to be replaced, judging by the time it took him to leave the field but he could have no complaints about the decision.
Pulis covered every inch of the technical area and he went through agonies as Palace pressed for their reward. It would have been deserved. They controlled the majority of the second half. The substitute Yannick Bolasie headed over when unmarked before O'Keefe was denied by Terry.
Ramires surged clean through but he messed up his square ball, with Oscar and Ba standing in front of an empty net while Speroni's save from Schürrle and Ba was outstanding. Mourninho applauded the Palace supporters at full-time. Chelsea squeaked home.
This was anything but pretty. Chelsea got what they needed yet it was not the antidote to their recent toils. It is rather stating the obvious but title-winning teams surely have to be better than this.
José Mourinho's team are stuttering and the manager was reduced to calling for the full-time whistle at the end. Crystal Palace called the tune in the second half, even if they were indebted to a Ramires fluff and Julián Speroni's double-save from the substitutes André Schürrle and Demba Ba in the closing stages.
For much of what had gone before in the second-half, a Palace equaliser had been advertised but when the big chance came, for the substitute Stuart O'Keefe, and his shot beat Petr Cech. John Terry somehow made a saving clearance behind the goalkeeper and from in front of the line.
Palace have not won at this stadium in 31 years but they deserved something here, having handed Chelsea an early advantage. Tony Pulis's team had arrived with a miserly recent defensive record yet they were breached with what was Chelsea's first attack of note. And although Willian's 25-yard shot that created the goal was well struck, it was disappointing from the Palace point of view that Speroni got nothing more to it than fingertips to divert the ball onto his post.
The rebound fell to Fernando Torres. It fell to him in a way that has not always happened during his Chelsea career and he gratefully accepted the good fortune, sweeping home his second league goal of the season from close-range.
Chelsea had shown a few moments of looseness in the early running. Never mind that David Luiz was nutmegged by Cameron Jerome, the Brazil defender also lost a dribble with a terribly heavy touch. He would be strangely erratic. César Azpilicueta and Juan Mata also made errors on the ball.
The home team did spark briefly after the goal. Torres drove at Joel Ward, turning him inside and out; Mata's wonderful flick released Branislav Ivanovic, who shot narrowly wide and Michael Essien tried his luck from distance.
But Palace were determined not to play the part of stooges. Pulis had started with Marouane Chamakh working in the space behind the lone striker, Cameron Jerome, in an attempt to match up the Chelsea formation and there were plenty of nice moments from his team. The nicest was the equaliser.
Chamakh was involved at the beginning of the move, finding Jason Puncheon, who worked it wide to Ward. The full-back's cross invited Chamakh, who had continued his run, to strike left-footed and on the volley, and the ball found the bottom corner of the net. It was Chamakh's third goal in third. He scores when he wants, according to Palace's travelling fans.
Chelsea responded. Pulis wanted a foul on Jerome at the other end but when Eden Hazard cut back to Ramires and Palace stood off him, the midfielder took full advantage. His right-footed shot from the edge of the box fizzed high past Speroni. Willian might have had another for Chelsea before the interval but he shot weakly when well-placed. Mourinho booted a kit-bag in frustration.
Palace's fans were loud throughout; they made the atmosphere in what was an entertaining derby. Their team gave everything, too, and they threatened a second equaliser throughout the second half. Jerome fired high after an Ivanovic error; Puncheon drew a save from Cech on the break and Damien Delaney headed at the goalkeeper from Puncheon's free-kick.
Mourinho looked uppity but, internally, he was surely raging at Chelsea's general carelessness. Hazard played well but around him, there was not much to inspire. Mata was unhappy to be replaced, judging by the time it took him to leave the field but he could have no complaints about the decision.
Pulis covered every inch of the technical area and he went through agonies as Palace pressed for their reward. It would have been deserved. They controlled the majority of the second half. The substitute Yannick Bolasie headed over when unmarked before O'Keefe was denied by Terry.
Ramires surged clean through but he messed up his square ball, with Oscar and Ba standing in front of an empty net while Speroni's save from Schürrle and Ba was outstanding. Mourninho applauded the Palace supporters at full-time. Chelsea squeaked home.
